SHARK CAGE DIVING CAPE TOWN
Cape Town is a top tourist destination that offers some of the best sites and experiences in the world. One of the most notable is the Cape’s expansive blue seas with thriving marine life. Within this aquatic world lives the great white shark, these majestic predators are known for their large size and speed.
With shark cage diving and White Shark Ventures, you get a closer look at a great white shark in their natural habitat in the safety of a controlled environment. We believe that everyone should experience this exciting adventure at least once in their lives.
See more on our shark cage diving in Cape Town packages.
Why Cape Town?
Cape Town is one of the best places in the world to get up close and personal with these great white sharks.
White Shark Ventures is based in Gansbaai and was one of the first companies to offer shark cage diving in the channel at Dyer Island. Due to various geographical reasons, water temperatures, depth and easy access to food, this area has earned worldwide fame and recognition as the single most successful area to view the great white shark.
Gansbaai is located about 175 kilometers (120 miles) southeast from Cape Town towards Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of the African continent. It is also known as the point where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet. Not sure how to get there? White Shark Ventures offers packages that includes tours, transfers, accommodation and more.
What you’ll see
While we cannot guarantee a sighting, Cape Town is a great place for viewing great white sharks and our success rate is high. We also have daily visits from another large shark specie; the Bronze Whaler Shark (also known as Bronzies). They hunt in packs and we often see upto 15 of these large sharks around our boat. Other seal life may also be encountered which includes; dolphins, whales and seals.
With White Shark Ventures you are guaranteed an unforgettable, first class experience.
Shark Diving
Things you need to know
There’s no need for a scuba certification, we primarily make use of snorkeling equipment as the dive takes place just beneath the water surface. Even as a novice, you would be allowed to hop into the cage and enjoy the experience!
Shark Cage Diving Protocol
Diving takes place under supervision of our highly qualified Dive Master and Shark Expert, who makes use of a rotational system with 4 to 5 divers down at a time. Once the rotation is completed it will be repeated, this ensures that each diver can take as many dives as possible.
Time spent inside the cage always varies. This generally depends on the weather and water conditions, shark activity as well as the eagerness of each diver. However, the Dive Master will ensure you have had a fair chance at viewing the sharks before asking the next group to enter the cage.
We generally have a small group of divers to ensure that everyone has a memorable diving experience and therefore rarely have more than 18 divers on board at a time. This ensures that every diver has maximum cage diving time. Our cage is situated next to the side of the boat and once ready to take the dive, our Dive Master would assist the diver into the opening at the top of the cage.
Once in position, the divers head would be no more than half a meter below the surface. This ensures that the diver can effectively communicate with the Dive Master onboard. Divers can also secure themselves by holding onto the convenient cross bars, situated at the top of the cage.
Shark Viewing
If you’re not interested in cage diving, you can simply remain on lower or upper deck, which is often the best place to experience the sharks. From here you can view and take photos of the sharks moving around the boat and cage. As sharks are surface feeders by nature, the best photography is often taken from here, when they break the water surface in order to “take the bait”.
Other Important Information
When is the best time to go shark cage diving?
Great white sharks gather in different areas of the sea depending on the time of year, but you can go shark cage diving in Cape Town virtually all year round. We have more than a 90% sighting rate throughout the year, so you can still see these fascinating creatures up-close and personal.
To achieve this, we divide the year up into two seasons:
April to August/September: White sharks can be observed mainly around Dyer Island and Geyser Rock.
September to March: Great white sharks are sometimes gathered around an area located three kilometers to the north in the shallow bay known as Shark Bay.
How cold are Cape Town waters?
In winter it is 14 to 16°C (57 to 61°F).
In summer it is 19 to 23°C (66 to 73°F).
The boat
We have a custom-built Catamaran boat called the ‘Megalodon II’ that is specially designed for comfort, stability and speed. The Megalodon is also built for stability which minimizes seasickness.
Our boat is built for safety and is approved by Naval Architects and SAMSA. It is the only vessel whose hull is filled with SABS approved foam that makes it unsinkable! We conduct foam density tests annually to ensure that the foam is still stable and intact.
In fact, it’s even safe for the sharks. The engine of the vessel trims out above the water making it a safe working and swimming environment for sharks, without harming them in any way.
Megalodon II is a luxurious vessel, setting the platform for redefined shark cage diving and viewing tours in South Africa and includes a private bathroom / changing room.
The Cage
Our cage is also specifically drawn, designed, built and approved with no sharp edges, to ensure that it is extremely safe and eco-friendly. No sharks are harmed in our shark cage diving the activity.
The cage is inspected regularly by our Dive Masters as well as government officials on an annual basis. Our steel shark cage can comfortably accommodate up to 5 divers at a time!
Diving gear
All diving equipment is provided free and is also checked daily. Guests are issued with a dry bag, wetsuit and dive booties. We are also proud to confirm that we are the only company offering dive belts with weights to reduce the buoyancy whilst diving, as this is much needed to steady one-self when trying to capture the perfect underwater photo.
Safety
When feeding actively around the boat, the sharks may occasionally brush their tail against the cage, but NEVER attack the cage. However, they are very curious and often come close-up to the cage, to take a closer look at the diver.
All shark diving operators are licensed and regulated by the Code of Conduct enforced by ‘DEAT’ (Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism). Therefore, a strict Code of Conduct exists to ensure your utmost safety.
We also have all necessary medical equipment with oxygen on board, and our crew is medically qualified to administer and help any person in case of emergency. We have an emergency flow chart on the vessel in case of fire, as well as a second medical boat and helicopter available in case of evacuation. We also have a serviceable 54-man life raft on board.
You can therefore rest assured, as in all our company’s existence of over 27 years, we have not had a single incident or accident.
Are you ready to get your blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing? See our shark cage diving tours and rates packages and book your dive today!